Critics Quote by Joan Robinson
“Progress is slow partly from mere intellectual inertia. In a subject where there is no agreed procedure for knocking out errors, doctrines have a long life. A professor teaches what he was taught, and his pupils, with a proper respect and reverence for teachers, set up a resistance against his critics for no other reason than that it was he whose pupils they were.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Economic Philosophy, Joan Robinson, 1972
Intellectual inertia slows progress; without agreed methods, outdated ideas persist as teachers and students resist critique out of respect.
In simple terms: Resistance to new ideas slows progress.
Key Takeaway
Question questioning and open debate.
Themes
intellectual inertia
progress
education
Mood
reflective
analytical
Type
philosophical
educational
When to use this quote
- academic research
- policy development
- curriculum design
- peer review
Key Concepts
critical thinking
academic tradition
methodology
Questions to Reflect On
- How can institutions foster constructive critique?
- What mechanisms reduce reliance on outdated doctrines?
A Different Perspective
Change can be hindered by reverence for authority.
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